Banana farmers, ready to dialogue with employees

Ecuadornews:

After the complaints made at the First International Meeting of Banana Workers, organized by the Association of Agricultural and Farm Workers (Astac) in Guayaquil, several employers´unions rejected the statements made and showed their openness to the dialogue to hear the complaints of the workers. General Coordinator of Astac Jorge Acosta, said: “We want that banana production coexists with fair working conditions.”

The meeting also presented studies showing that Ecuadorian farms carry out fumigations without complying with the safety parameters. However, the names of these farms were not revealed.

On the Social Security rights of the workers, administrator of the Association of Commercialization and Exportation of Banana Richard Salazar affirmed that the companies comply with the environmental and labor standards, one of the most demanding in Latin America, and controls are constant.

According to the Chamber of Agriculture, Ecuador receives $ 2.8 billion in foreign exchange income and accounts for 25% of the country’s non-oil exports. The sector generates 200,000 direct jobs. (I)

Source: http://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/economia/8/bananeros-prestos-a-dialogo-con-empleados